Editorials

Who Needs Arcades?

Today's home consoles provide experiences equal to or better than anything you'll get from a stand up machine.

I admit it, my soul is burning...

As you may have noticed, we've been giving the Sega Dreamcast a lot of coverage here at GameSpy.com. That's because, well... we love it like a brother. A copy of Soul Calibur alone practically justifies the purchase price, let alone adding on all of the terrific Sega Sports games, NFL Blitz, the surprisingly fun Sega Bass Fishing, and more. So the question is, with all of these fantastic, arcade-quality graphics, gameplay, and sound... who needs arcades anymore?

Those of you who've been to a mall recently have probably already noticed that the traditional arcade is a dying breed. Gone are the rows and rows of Donkey Kong machines and skeeball tables. Instead, what you'll find are pricey "VR Units" and machines that resemble amusement park rides more than traditional arcade games. The last time I was in a Gameworks, I couldn't find a single machine with a standard joystick. I did find a wide variety of fire hose attachments, simulated fishing rods, and snowboards, however.

Is it just me, or is it not really worth paying two dollars for thirty seconds of standing on a fiberglass board and watching some polygons rush past on a big screen? I can play a snowboarding game on the Dreamcast (or the PSX, or the N64) and get the same basic experience...and I've made up the cost of the game in about ten minutes. Sega Bass Fishing is another example. It's a lot of fun on the Dreamcast (seriously), because I can continue for
free. If I were popping in half my life's savings over the course of half an hour, hooking virtual fish would probably lose its charm pretty damn quickly.

What about the virtual reality machines? Well, aside from the fact that I'm not a big fan of roller coasters to begin with (and that's what most of them currently simulate), there's the fact that the experience, while interesting, probably doesn't warrant spending anywhere between five
to fifteen dollars for a few minutes worth. I did try a "virtual reality" version of Ritual's "Sin" once (how in the hell that got made is another question entirely), which involved sticking my face in an uncomfortable mask and using bulky controls. My conclusion? It was roughly
as entertaining as pounding on my hand with a hammer for fifteen minutes... though the latter would make me feel less like I was going to throw up.

Would it be better to let arcades die a quick death? In my opinion, it's probably time. The arcade, that great time waster of the 80's, has become as outdated as the stand-up, coin-op games it once housed. The simple fact of the matter is that arcade games have not only been equalled,
but actually surpassed by home systems. Soul Calibur, a Dreamcast game and one of my current obsessions, is a perfect example of this. Far beyond "arcade perfect", Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast is higher resolution, gives a better framerate, and has a whole host of single-player options that just don't exist in the stand-up version.

Is there something about arcades I'm missing, something that keeps them from going the way of the dinosaur? It's hard to see what that could be when I'm sitting around the Dreamcast with a pack of friends, screaming profanity and drinking beer (both of which are often frowned upon in
arcades), and generally having the time of my life. In my opinion, it's time for the arcades to go. Think differently? That's what this handy feedback link is for. Don't be shy... let me know if I'm wrong.